Wen Wei, a taxi driver in Chengdu, was impressed when he saw soldiers in different parts of this capital city of Sichuan province early on Tuesday morning.

"I thought they must be guarding a VIP on his visit to the city. But later I realized they were checking whether military vehicles had been used improperly," the 31-year-old Chengdu native said.

In the zero hour on Tuesday, the Chengdu Military Area Command, which oversees the military in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet and Chongqing, started a three-day check on the misuse of military vehicles.

"It is aimed at stopping the use of fake and outdated military license plates by civilians and barring military vehicles from entering high-grade restaurants, entertainment venues and scenic spots," said Xiao Weidong, chief of the military transport section under the joint logistics department of the Chengdu Military Area Command, in an interview with the West China Metropolis Daily.

It will be the largest check on military vehicles by the Chengdu Military Area Command in recent years, Xiao said.

Mobile checkpoints have been set up on major roads, scenic spots and near high-grade restaurants and entertainment venues.